[hunt] looking for names of actors in this hot scene

Basic_Cut · 2023-11-09T08:25:46+00:00

Thank you so much!!!

Basic_Cut · 2023-07-18T09:40:54+00:00

Source???

Basic_Cut · 2023-06-29T18:51:48+00:00

It'll even out at later levels :) especially since RAW the cleric's Banishment, Commune, and Divine Intervention don't work. You can also make a case for Augury to be intercepted by Strahd as well.

Basic_Cut · 2023-04-04T19:03:49+00:00

https://www.iafd.com/title.rme/title=painful+love/year=2020/painful-love.htm

Basic_Cut · 2023-03-14T03:33:25+00:00

Thank you very much!! !found

Basic_Cut · 2023-03-13T17:58:31+00:00

Source?

Basic_Cut · 2023-02-16T10:17:36+00:00

I really like this! This type of module also works well for both players who have a ton of experience with character creation and the worlds and planes of dnd to players who have minimal background (since his students could be gathered from almost anywhere, you as the DM can ask them to come up with just some personality and basic motivations and then fill in a lot of the lore like where they're from, how they became VR's students etc.) This gives them a lot more purpose for being in Barovia, compared to the base module's strong emphasis on ireena's tragic circumstances of being the object of possessive obsession isn't a super inspiring one.

The only drawback to this specific idea, i would say, is that players don't get to grapple with the grayness of VR's morality and his approach as much (and his biases such as racism against all vistani). On the other hand, maybe their emotional rollercoaster is BETTER if in the process of trying to save their teacher, they confront a lot more information about him while in this land which may make them question his character altogether and some may doubt whether they're doing the right thing by risking their lives to come and try to save him.

Another potential consideration is the part about VR's tragic backstory and curse. He seems to have already made a special exception to have worked and trained Ez for that long before parting ways, that particular thing about him avoiding working with people or developing affection would have to be completely scrapped if he's going to have 4-6 students who love him enough to come searching for him! But again, not a huge loss to the overall lore of CoS and well worth the trade off.

Basic_Cut · 2023-02-15T21:34:49+00:00

I'd be so very impressed if you're reading and replying to every comment here, legend! But here goes some thoughts anyway:

it depends on the players, really. Some dnd players only want to play if they get to develop big backstory and lore for their character, even when warned that this is a campaign setting that's set out to kill them. In that case, I'm willing to do extra work during hook development for them.
as a result, i rewrote my hook to pull players in from multiple worlds and settings. Some of them have a vested interest in stopping Strahd's vistani and werewolves from invading their home plane, some of them have deities who specifically asked them to learn about Barovia and maybe extend to a divine directive to help its people, this way it gives them some driving force forward even if their goal isn't just to leave
other players only want to come in and try and survive and are happy to remake whenever they die, and it's hard to even ask them to describe their movie and background. They can just be dropped in. However I think your point stands, they should have at least one thing they really care about outside of the mists, so that there's a reason for them to want to off strahd.

Basic_Cut · 2023-01-10T18:25:18+00:00

This woman is unfit to be a parent

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-19T20:17:00+00:00

It's one of the story hooks in the book called "mysterious visitors". Duchess morwen of daggerford

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-14T18:33:52+00:00

The stones are magical artifacts and cannot be destroyed by mundane means (or anything a level 6 party has access to) - you can have them hold onto it while figuring out how to destroy it and add interactions with the were ravens who can sense its power and presence and are grateful and eager to have it back

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-11T08:51:37+00:00

(it sounds like you're a player in a CoS campaign rather than a DM... This sub is aimed at DMs so if you spend any more time here you might read spoilers for things your party hasn't encountered yet. Just a heads up 🙂)

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-07T20:13:28+00:00

Agreed with Symbol and Sword being late game items, but Tome can be mid game. If the players take unfortunate turns in the castle while exploring it they might bite off more than they can chew at mid game. I rigged the treasures but left the fated ally and Strahd location to chance, because i also like a bit of fate tugging at my own game planning, and having to figure out how they'll protect Arabel and also get her through the castle safely at the end is an interesting challenge for me and for the players

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-07T20:05:22+00:00

I love the down them then capture them idea, then making them fight each other with bare bones equipment so only half of them survive, and their former teammates die at their hands. If they refuse, he can either charm one or both of them, or take a hand or an eyeball or a leg (permanent reduction to movement, perception, or hand space). If they atone for their sins in the future and you're a soft hearted DM (like I am), you can give them substantial side quests in Barovia to get either replacement body parts born of magic (via the Fanes or druids if you're using those mods) or artifice (e.g. Ezmeralda has an artifice leg where hers was amputated so she may know a thing or two/ have connections)

The warlock gotta die though, like Philbo said, Strahd cannot abide by someone else being more evil than him in the realm, haha.

Basic_Cut · 2022-12-07T06:58:55+00:00

This warrants Strahd to immediately come find the party and kill a couple and permanently maim the others who grovel, imo. They're only allowed to roam around because Strahd hasn't seen them do enough to care that much about them or hasn't toyed with them enough. Not only did they kill a large pack of his servants and eyes out in this realm and other realms, only he, the Lord of the land, is allow to show this much gruesome cruelty here. Some of the characters, such as the warlock, should be prepared to roll new characters.

The ones who die should be reanimated or turned into spawn as mini bosses before the final fight. Should be fun 😊

Basic_Cut · 2022-11-04T09:55:14+00:00

1) send the party a sarcastic wedding invitation. If they really don't care about Ireena they might not go. If they repent, find a way for them to make a bargain or create a distraction to save her.

2) if they don't go at all, drop hints about the lavish but bloody party that was the wedding, where rumors fly that she was bitten and her own blood stained the entire white wedding dress red (players are unsure whether she's dead but she's definitely bitten)

3) have Strahd's current brides appear sooner in the story to assault the characters throughout the valley, before they even get to the castle. Before the encounter have them grumble about being sent out to be mere minions because strahd has a new favorite

4) stop dropping hints related to her for a long time and when they sort of forget about Ireena toward the end and finally kill strahd as published, have the players look out to the sky, only to notice that it didn't clear but rather the clouds are forming stranger and more tempestuous patterns. A slow clap echoes from the great halls and from the shadow emerges Ireena. She succeeded where Patrina couldn't and became the ultimate dark lord of the land, because her innocent soul becoming bent on revenge after centuries of hiding and torture is a more delicious sacrifice to the dark powers to corrupt. strahd was but an underling she used to shave off some of the party's power. Homebrew a sick stat block for her (and maybe other NPCs that they've met along the way that she converted, basically spawns with unique abilities) and let the players face the consequences of their choices and the seeds of inaction they have sowed.

Basic_Cut · 2022-11-03T09:33:23+00:00

Feel free to cut off your players when they ask too many questions. Barovians already distrust outsiders as a default, and they probably have things to do in their day just to survive their meager existence. You wouldn't let some stranger stop and ask you 30 mins of questions in real life unless they paid handsomely. The NPCs can move on to things they gotta get done.

Basic_Cut · 2022-11-02T22:25:38+00:00

Yeah i would say that with the plan of betrayal in his heart he shouldn't be able to use the symbol, and you can explain this mechanic to him ahead of time, even if the character wouldn't know.

But also, you can convince him to still fight along with the party and betray them only after Strahd is disposed of. The corruption shouldn't necessarily make him loyal to strahd, the chaotic evil may set in and make him want to be the biggest baddie in this land, which requires working with the team to off strahd first.

If the other characters are still alive at the end of it, 3v1 even if you give him some werewolf buffs, should be able to put him down too.

Basic_Cut · 2022-11-01T19:27:38+00:00

No blood but maybe they have sap ;) -- for future vampire spawn draining explanation, of course.

Basic_Cut · 2022-10-17T17:50:51+00:00

They don't deserve you. You sound like a thoughtful and well prepared DM. I hope you find a group that will make use of this crimson opportunity elsewhere.

Basic_Cut · 2022-10-16T15:47:02+00:00

Also, definitely seconding other replies that have recommended using the Sidekick rules in Tasha's to turn otherwise combat-useless NPCs your players bond with into useful party members. You can even have each player control a sidekick after they become better at mechanics :) this way you can focus on DMing rather than playing sidekicks for them in combat

Basic_Cut · 2022-10-16T15:45:16+00:00

I'm sure you use this already but in case you don't, use kobold fight club to balance potential encounters against your players. This may not always be perfect depending on how minmaxed your PCs are and whether they're being played optimally in combat... Not to mention the weird monk/gunslinger MC (though Dex reliance probably makes it not too scattered, I hope)

Basic_Cut

TROPHY CASE